Author: News-Press NOW

Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce shared the Shop St. Joe Second Chance Prize numbers on its website less than a week after the Grand Prize and Small Business Bonus numbers were announced.

Both the $10,000 Grand Prize and $2,500 Small Business Bonus prizes have been claimed, but some second chance prizes are still lingering.

Ticket holders were encouraged to hang on to their Shop St. Joe tickets as the large prizes were being announced, in the event their numbers matched with the prizes below:

2025 Shop St. Joe Second Chance PrizesDownload

Winners of second chance prizes have 30 days to claim them from the store directly.

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Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Following the graduation of 25 new Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers, five will make their way to serve Troop H.

Trooper Matthew J. Dorrell is a native of Marceline, Missouri, and is assigned to cover Zone 4, which serves citizens of Grundy, Livingston and Mercer counties.

Dorrell is a 2023 graduate of Marceline R-V and joined the Missouri National Guard in 2022, where he continues to serve as a heavy equipment operator. Before his employment with MSHP, Dorrell was employed by Lawn Boyz as a lawn care specialist in Bucklin, Missouri.

Trooper Matthew J. Dorrell, courtesy of MSHP.

Trooper Delaney K. Dunkin is a native of Norborne, Missouri, and is assigned to Zone 7, which serves the citizens of Caldwell and Clinton counties.

Dunkin graduated from Norborne R-8 in 2023. After high school, she attended Metropolitan Community College-Maple Woods in Kansas City, Missouri, where she earned an Associate of Arts Degree in 2024.

Dunkin was employed by Ray County 911 in Richmond, Missouri, as a communications officer before her employment with the Patrol.

Trooper Delaney K. Dunkin, courtesy of MSHP.

Trooper Raul Hernandez is a native of Marshall, Missouri, and is assigned to cover Zone 10, which serves Daviess and DeKalb counties.

Hernandez graduated from Marshall High School in 2017. After high school, he attended Missouri Valley College in Marshall, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice in 2021.

Hernandez was previously employed by the Marshall Police Department as a police officer before joining MSHP.

Trooper Raul Hernandez, courtesy of MSHP.

Trooper Noah M. Newland is a Queen City, Missouri native who is assigned to Zone 2, which serves Nodaway and Worth counties.

Newland graduated from Schuyler County R-1 in 2022. He attended Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri.

Newland was employed by Dollar General as a sales associate before his employment with MSHP.

Trooper Noah M. Newland, courtesy of MSHP.

Trooper Lucas N. Reynolds is a Chillicothe, Missouri native who is also assigned to Zone 4, which serves Grundy, Livingston and Mercer counties.

Reynolds graduated from Chillicothe High School in 2023. He was employed by the Missouri Department of Corrections as a corrections officer before his employment with the Patrol.

Trooper Lucas N. Reynolds, courtesy of MSHP.

The new troopers will report for duty in their respective assignments on Jan. 5.

MSHP said it is hiring and offers over 60 career paths. Anyone interested in applying for trooper or commercial vehicle officer poisitions are encouraged to visit www.joinmshp.us. For other openings, visit https://bit.ly/MSHPCareers.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The vision for Buchanan County’s new $1.6 million fairgrounds arena in Easton, Missouri, is now coming to life as county residents eagerly await the future home for livestock showcases and events.

Construction crews with Al J. Mueller Construction are making sizable progress on development of a 160-by-250-foot steel arena next to the former East Buchanan Middle School building, which is undergoing heavy renovations as part of the 18-acre Buchanan County Fairgrounds project.

County residents will now see a majority of the arena’s steel framework in place as officials set their sights on March 1 for completion. The new dirt-floor arena will be the same width as an NFL football field, offering space for livestock shows, rodeos, car shows, equine events and more.

Construction crews work on the steel framework of the new Buchanan County Fairgrounds arena in Easton, Missouri is shown on Monday.

“We’ve made a lot of progress. We’ve taken an old school building and we’re slowly getting that converted into a useful venue as well.” Fairgrounds Board member and Buchanan County Farm Bureau President Tim Gach said. “We have plans to do more painting soon, to spruce up some of the classrooms and configure them in different ways.”

Gach, county officials and a number of volunteers are all assisting contractors in renovating the former school building into an upgraded venue designed for 4-H and FFA, as well as a wide-range of possible education and community-based activities, from music lessons and knitting classes to robotics.

The building has seen entire classrooms and offices remodeled with new furniture, as well as new wiring, internet services, painting and other upgrades. The school building will also include space for the University of Missouri Extension – Buchanan County.

The former East Buchanan Middle School building is shown as interior renovations occur inside the structure on Monday in Easton, Missouri. The former school will be paired with the new arena as part of the fairgrounds.

“We do have a number of 4-H activities already planned for that facility starting in January. The local 4-H has just been really excited about the opportunity to have a place to land,” Gach said. “We have had a tremendous amount of inquiry into different things.”

He credited the help of fellow fairgrounds board members with developing concepts and ideas and facilitating various efforts to move the project forward. The Buchanan County Fairgrounds Board is comprised of nine members, including one representative from the Buchanan County Commission.

The Buchanan County Fairgrounds recently unveiled a new logo and social media page in November for future announcements, events and activities.

Once complete, Buchanan County could see the return of its first true county fair in decades.

The steel framework of the new Buchanan County Fairgrounds arena in Easton, Missouri is shown on Monday.

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Marie Moyer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

State lawmakers are voicing disappointment and criticism Monday following the announcement of the Kansas City Chiefs’ move to Kansas in 2031.

“They [The Chiefs] think a dome stadium and and landing a Super Bowl would be really big for the organization and I believe that that’s the piece that they were most interested in,” Kehoe said in a press conference Monday. “They thought new and shiny was better than old and reliable and that’s the decision apparently they’re making.”

With the decision also came criticism from several Democratic state lawmakers, who claim Kehoe’s recent initiative to eliminate the state’s income tax hurt Missouri’s offer.

In Missouri’s final stadium bill, the proposal included agreements for Missouri to cover 50% of total construction costs. The deal would have also given up to a 50% tax credit to professional sports entertainment facility construction and eligible teams could also access a tax credit worth up to 10% of their investment.

“There are no winners in a border war, just losses on both sides. Companies moving back and forth across the state line to reap massive tax breaks,” state Sen. Patty Lewis (D-Kansas City) said in an X post. “Missouri’s Governor has no plan to grow our economy besides doubling down on the same failed tax plans that brought us here.”

Here’s my statement on today’s announcement: pic.twitter.com/P2esEnZB3W

— Patty4MO (@Patty4MO) December 22, 2025

U.S. Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO) also voiced disappointment, but praised Kehoe’s leadership through deal negotiations.

“I know Governor Mike Kehoe did everything in his power to get them to stay,” Alford said in a statement. “With this behind us, it’s time to move forward. We must deliver real prosperity, job opportunities, and economic development by thoughtfully eliminating the state income tax.”

“That’s a major policy piece that needs to be done,” Kehoe said Monday. “Our current tax code was written in the 1930s and it’s about time for Missourians to be able to keep more of their money in their pocket.”

Other lawmakers voiced concern at potential economic losses due to the Chiefs’ move.

“These are jobs that people go to even when they don’t have games, they still have events there, so it is jobs that will be affected, it is businesses that will be affected, that goes back to families as well,” state Rep. Tiffany Price (D-Kansas City) said.

“The Chiefs generate nearly $500 million annually in economic activity and support approximately 4,600 jobs in our region,” Rep. Mark Sharp (D-Kansas City) said in a statement. “This team is woven into the economic, cultural and civic identity of our city.”

Sharp also put the spotlight on the Chiefs’ organization.

“Kansas City & Jackson County, Missouri deserved leadership that acted early, coordinated effectively and fought relentlessly for our community. Chiefs fans deserved loyalty and transparency. Instead, a combination of local dysfunction, state-level inaction, and organizational indifference brought us to this moment – and our community is being left to pay the price!” Sharp said.

Kehoe voiced confidence in the current job market during Monday’s press conference.

“Missourians that lose their jobs because this move happens will be able to find another job, I’m quite confident in Kansas City, Missouri,” Kehoe said.

Republican State Sen. Joe Nicola, of Kansas City, was not surprised by the decision.

“I expected it, but nonetheless, I’m still saddened over it and disappointed,” Nicola said.

Nicola added Jackson County is currently caught up in property tax negotiations.

“That’s what’s on people’s minds before they’re willing to vote for any kind of a tax increase to help these sports teams,” Nicola said. “I did not vote for that stadium bill, and I said ‘and I won’t until we get some property tax reform for our citizens,’ we didn’t get it, so I didn’t vote for the stadium bill.”

Kehoe added the legislature will “figure out what the lessons learned here are moving forward.”

“We won’t give up. We’ll look for cracks in the armor and find out if there’s a Missouri Show Me solution through our sports act,” Kehoe said.

Kehoe did not mention any specific plans for deals with the Kansas City Royals but said, “They are in the driver’s seat now.”

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — St. Joseph police are gathering information following a Monday morning collision that reportedly involved a vehicle running a stop sign and crashing into a nearby garage after going airborne near Frederick Avenue.

A damaged parking garage with a vehicle still inside is shown at 1022 Ashland Court on Monday in St. Joseph.

First responders were dispatched to the scene of a motor vehicle crash that occurred around 4:20 a.m. Monday at 1022 Ashland Court just off Frederick Avenue.

Upon arrival, first responders, including St. Joseph firefighters, located a White Jeep that had gone airborne and crashed into two garages, causing significant property damage.

No injuries were reported in the crash.

According to St. Joseph Police, it’s believed the driver of the vehicle — an unidentified woman — ran a stop sign while trying to make a right turn from Ashland Avenue to Frederick Avenue, the driver hit a retaining wall and went airborne before hitting the two structures.

The driver was issued multiple citations for leaving the scene and running a stop sign. Police are investigating where a medical issue may have played a factor.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A new set of maple trees are now taking root along a major corridor in St. Joseph, offering a vibrant set of colors for decades to come with help from the local tree board.

Several members of the St. Joseph Tree Board and Parks Department gathered Saturday afternoon to help plant a new set of maple trees along Messanie Street by the Aquatic Park, completing a new tree corridor for the popular walking area in the process.

“We thought this corner needed a little love,” St. Joseph Tree Board Chairman Shelley White said. “We try to plant as many native trees as possible, because the native trees contribute to wildlife. Oak trees, for example, support all kinds of caterpillars. All kinds of bugs.”

A total of five new maple trees of varying species were planted — ranging from 5-to 7-feet-tall — including two sugar maples, two Crimson King Norway maples and one redpointe maple. The trees will largely stay dormant through the winter and wake up next spring.

A young redpointe maple tree is shown next to Messanie Street by the Aquatic Park on Saturday in St. Joseph.

Once mature, the trees will provide an array of vibrant colors to the area, particularly in the fall, from deep oranges and yellows and fiery and scarlet reds. The trees will take anywhere from 35 to 50 years to reach full size.

White said planting a younger tree allows it to take root and flourish better than a mature one, which can experience transplant shock in certain situations. Mulch was also added to the new maple trees on Friday to help support growth.

“The sugar maple is a native. They’re going to be slower growing and have a longer lifespan,” White said. “Most of the maples that are hybridized tend to grow fast and have beautiful colors.” 

The new trees were also planted in honor of the city’s new status as a “Tree City USA” city. Tree City USA is a national recognition program by the Arbor Day Foundation honoring towns and cities for effectively managing their public trees.

Recognition is given based on four core standards: a tree board/department, a tree ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry and celebrating Arbor Day.

White said the tree board, which carries out tree-planting projects in different areas throughout the year, is always looking for volunteers to help with watering. She said the trees planted on Saturday will have to be watered at least once a week for the first year.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — In the wake of the Kansas City Chiefs announcing plans to leave Arrowhead Stadium for a new domed stadium in Kansas in 2031, the home of Chiefs training camp in St. Joseph has provided a statement.

“We are beyond proud to have served as the Summer Training Camp home of the Kansas City Chiefs since 2010. Training camp has been a point of pride for our campus, our students, and the greater St. Joseph community. We will continue planning to make future training camps a great experience for the team and the fans,” a statement provided by Missouri Western on Monday reads.

The Chiefs reportedly signed a multi-year extension in 2025 with Missouri Western to continue hosting training camp in St. Joseph. Back in July, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt expressed his appreciation of continuing the partnership with Missouri Western.

“It’s great for the organization to be able to extend our relationship going forward,” Hunt said. “We do believe it’s been a key part of helping us win a few championships.”

It’s unclear exactly how the Chiefs announcement will impact those plans, but the latest statement from Missouri Western indicates planning will continue for training camp in St. Joseph.

For the past 15 years, Missouri Western State University has hosted the annual Chiefs training camp, bringing in thousands of tourists each year from across the country.

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Associated Press

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs announced Monday they will leave their longtime home at Arrowhead Stadium for a new, domed stadium that will be built across the Kansas-Missouri state line and be ready for the start of the 2031 season.

The announcement came shortly after a council of Kansas lawmakers voted unanimously inside a packed room at the state Capitol to allow for STAR bonds to be issued to cover up to 70% of the cost of the stadium and accompanying mixed-use district.

The bonds will be paid off with state sales and liquor tax revenues generated in a defined area around it.

“The location of Chiefs games will change,” Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said, “but some things won’t change. Our fans will still be the loudest in the NFL, our games will still be the best place in the world to tailgate, and our players and coaches will be ready to compete for championships, because on the field or off the field, we are big dreamers, and we’re ready for the next chapter.”

The Chiefs intend to build their new stadium in Kansas City, Kansas, near the Kansas Speedway and a retail and entertainment district known as The Legends. The area is also home to Children’s Mercy Park, the home of MLS club Sporting Kansas City.

The team will build a new practice facility, too, in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe, Kansas.

“Today’s announcement is truly historic. Actually, it’s a little surreal,” Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said. “Today’s announcement will touch the lives of Kansans for generations to come. Today’s announcement is a total game-changer for our state.

“We have always been Chiefs fans,” Kelly said. “Now we are Chiefs family.”

The move by the Chiefs is a massive blow to Missouri lawmakers and Gov. Mike Kehoe, who had been working on their own funding package to prevent a third NFL franchise and the second in a decade from leaving its borders. The Rams left St. Louis for Los Angeles in part due to their inability to secure funding to help replace The Dome at America’s Center.

Kehoe had backed a special legislative session in June to authorize bonds covering up to 50% of the cost of new or renovated stadiums, plus up to $50 million of tax credits for each stadium and unspecified aid from local governments.

“For more than 50 years, we’ve had tremendous partnerships in Jefferson City, Jackson County and Kansas City, Missouri,” Hunt said. “That partnership is not over and we look forward to working together in the years ahead.”

The Chiefs originally planned an $800 million renovation of Arrowhead Stadium in a joint effort with the Royals, who are similarly planning to build a new facility to replace Kauffman Stadium. The facilities sit a couple of hundred yards across the parking lot from each other, and both teams have leases with Jackson County, Missouri, that expire in January 2031.

Last year, Jackson County voters soundly defeated a local sales tax extension which would have helped to pay for those renovations to the football stadium while helping to fund a new ballpark for the Royals in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

The Royals were not discussed by Kansas lawmakers Monday, but momentum appears to be building behind their own move across the state line. An affiliate of the club already has purchased the mortgage on a tract of land in Overland Park, Kansas.

“While the Chiefs aren’t going far away and aren’t gone yet, today is a setback as a Kansas Citian, a former Chiefs season ticket-holder and lifelong Chiefs fan,” said Quinton Lucas, the mayor of Kansas City, Missouri. “Business decisions are a reality and we all understand that, but Arrowhead Stadium is more — it’s family, tradition and a part of Kansas City we will never leave.”

Hunt has long said his preference was to renovate Arrowhead Stadium, which was beloved by his father and team founder, the late Lamar Hunt. It is considered one of the jewels of the NFL, alongside Lambeau Field in Green Bay, and is revered for its tailgating scene and home-field advantage; it currently holds the Guinness World Record for the loudest stadium roar.

This summer, Arrowhead Stadium will host six World Cup matches, including matches in the Round of 32 and quarterfinals.

Lamar Hunt established the Chiefs on August 14, 1959. The team was originally based in Dallas and known as the Texans, but Hunt was convinced by then-Kansas City Mayor H. Roe Bartle to relocate the team to Missouri with promises of tripling the team’s season-ticket sales and expanding the seating capacity of Municipal Stadium.

In 1972, the team moved into Arrowhead Stadium at the Truman Sports Complex just east of downtown Kansas City.

The stadium has undergone numerous renovations through the years, allowing it to stay relevant in a changing sports landscape. But there has been little economic development around the stadium, the facility itself is starting to show wear and tear, and there is a limit to the number of luxury suites and amenities that the franchise can utilize to help drive revenue.

While the Hunt family has long loved Arrowhead Stadium, it has warmed in recent years to the idea of a replacement.

Not only would it solve many of the shortcomings of the Chiefs’ longtime home, a new facility with a fixed or retractable roof would allow them to use it year-round. That would mean the potential for hosting more concerts and events, college football bowl games, the Final Four and perhaps one of Lamar Hunt’s long-held dreams: a Super Bowl.

“Chiefs fans on both sides of the state line can tell you that the success we’ve enjoyed together has elevated the profile of the entire region,” Clark Hunt said. “Sports are women into the fabric of this community. If you travel and go to New York or Los Angeles or Europe or South America, you don’t have to tell people which side of the state line you’re from. You tell them you’re from Kansas City, and there’s a pretty good chance their response might have something to do with the Chiefs.”

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Associated Press

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers are poised to vote Monday on a proposal that could lure the Kansas City Chiefs across the state line from Missouri, and replace popular but aging Arrowhead Stadium with a new facility capable of hosting major year-round events.

The meeting of the Legislative Coordinating Council, which includes the state’s top lawmakers, is expected to be attended by Chiefs owner Clark Hunt and other team officials. If the proposal is passed, the Chiefs could move swiftly in announcing plans to depart their 53-year-old home at the Truman Sports Complex for a stadium that could cost upwards of $2 billion.

The state’s proposal would allow for STAR bonds to be issued to cover up to 70% of the overall cost of the project. They would be paid off with state sales and liquor tax revenues generated in a defined area around around the sports complex.

The same bonding process was used to build Kansas Speedway and the surrounding shopping and entertainment district, known as The Legends, in Kansas City, Kansas — the area where a future stadium for the Chiefs is most likely to be built.

The area is also home to Children’s Mercy Park, where Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer plays its home matches.

“The state of Kansas is in active discussions with the Kansas City Chiefs about the prospects of building a new stadium and other facilities in Kansas,” the Kansas Department of Commerce said last week. “No final agreement has been reached, but this would be a massive economic win for Kansas and benefit Kansans for generations to come. We are aggressively pursuing this opportunity.”

The move by the Chiefs would be a massive blow to Missouri lawmakers and Gov. Mike Kehoe, who have been working on a package of their own to prevent a second NFL franchise in a decade from leaving their borders. The Rams departed St. Louis for Los Angeles a decade ago in part because of their inability to secure funding to help replace The Dome at America’s Center.

Kehoe backed a special legislative session in June to authorize bonds covering up to 50% of the cost of new or renovated stadiums, plus up to $50 million of tax credits for each stadium and unspecified aid from local governments.

The special session came in response to Kansas lawmakers approving their bond package.

The Chiefs originally planned an $800 million renovation of Arrowhead Stadium in a joint effort with the Kansas City Royals, who are similarly planning to build a new facility to replace Kauffman Stadium — which sits a couple of hundred yards across a parking lot from Arrowhead Stadium — when the two teams’ leases with Jackson County, Missouri, expire in January 2031.

But after county voters soundly defeated a local sales tax extension last year, the Royals and Chiefs began work on separate plans.

The Royals will not be discussed by Kansas lawmakers Monday, but momentum appears to be building behind their own move across the state line. An affiliate of the club already has purchased the mortgage on a tract of land in Overland Park, Kansas.

Quinton Lucas, the mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, has been working to keep both franchises on the Missouri side of the state line. He said in a statement over the weekend that negotiations had continued with the Chiefs throughout last week.

“We’ll reserve further comment until we hear from the Kansas City Chiefs,” Lucas said.

Hunt has long said his preference was to renovate Arrowhead Stadium, which was beloved by his father and team founder, the late Lamar Hunt. It is considered one of the jewels of the NFL, alongside Lambeau Field in Green Bay, and is revered for its tailgating scene and home-field advantage; it currently holds the Guinness World Record for the loudest stadium roar.

This summer, Arrowhead Stadium will host six World Cup matches, including matches in the Round of 32 and quarterfinals.

The Hunt family has warmed in recent years to the idea of leaving their own mark by building its replacement, though. Not only would a new, state-of-the-art stadium provide new revenue streams, through luxury seating and accompanying development, but a fixed or retractable roof would allow it to be used year-round. That would mean the potential to host concerts and events, college football bowl games, the Final Four and one of Lamar Hunt’s long-held dreams: a Super Bowl.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A 33-year-old St. Joseph man could serve life in prison after being found guilty by a jury of multiple child sex crimes, including rape of a child.

A three-day trial in Buchanan County ended Thursday with jurors finding 33-year-old Jonathan Edward Sears guilty on six felony counts, including one count of 1st degree rape, three counts of 1st degree sodomy and two counts of 2nd degree child molestation for crimes that occurred between January of 2022 and February 2023.

Sears has been denied bond is now scheduled for sentencing at 2 p.m. on Feb. 2 at the Buchanan County Courthouse. The St. Joseph resident could spend life prison with four of the six counts each carrying the maximum life sentence.

Courts documents indicate Sears committed the crimes against a child less than 12 years old.

Sears was initially arrested in March 2023 on a warrant for charges in the case and was denied bond after pleading not guilty to charges that included deviate sexual intercourse with a child.

Prior to the ruling, the case was suspended for more than three months for a mental evaluation after questions were raised by Sear’s court-appointed attorney about his competency to stand trial.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecuting Attorney’s Monica Morrey and Kristina Zeit.

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